On a bicycle again: For the first time
White knuckled with fear and with a death grip on the handle bars my instructor coached me from the sidelines. This is long before my feet are on the pedals.
Gone are the days of running beside a bicycle holding onto whatever worked. These days it’s heel to toe push until you can balance the bike or start at the top of a small incline and let gravity help. Then the pedals come into play one at a time.
Instructor? What! Yes, well my next door neighbour is a competitive cyclist and kindly offered to help. She’s taught people of all ages to ride a bike. She walks beside her students providing encouragement and verbal support. I’ve tried before to ride a bike, the last time was a number of years ago. Maybe this time I will succeed.
Writing can be like that. You start and stop then try again and again. Sometimes you stare at a blank screen and feel frustrated and fearful. You begin to think you are bereft of talent, skill or spontaneity. You ask yourself, why am I doing this?
The answers are many and sometimes like riding a bicycle the process does make sense. You just need someone to keep you balanced every now and again.
If you don’t have a writing mentor or buddy look for one to support and encourage. What you give you get back and there is no need to go through this alone. I am so happy to have support for my writing and someone to drink wine with over story strategies. The help I receive is invaluable and I’m grateful.
Do you have writing fears? Is there a writing buddy or support group you work with?
~ June Lorraine
18 responses to “Pedaling & Writing: Similar states, similar fears”
I’ve been riding a bike forever, but I’ve known adults who have learned for the first time and it can be scary. Writing can be scary too. I have some friends who help me over those fears. Thanks for following me.
Thanks for stopping by Dan, you are so right 🙂
Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie.
Reblogged this on Barrow Blogs: and commented:
A thoughtful post
Thanks so much Judith, much appreciated!
You’re very welcome, June.x
Absolutely. I think all writers have fears. Our dreams are so big that it’s easy to allow fear to cripple us. Persistence and overcoming that fear is part of the wonderful journey of writing, IMHO. Your bicycle is metaphor is perfect, June.
Kind words Sue, thanks. It felt pretty apt for me.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and the follow. It’s great to find this blog! I don’t write crime/mystery, but I sure do love to read it.
Also love your riding a bike/writing analogy. I’ve had whole decades where life got in the way of my writing. But I keep going back to it. Ditto for the bike riding. But I travel a lot, and the last few years have found more and more cities with bikes available for low/no cost rentals that can be dropped off elsewhere all over the city. It’s a fantastic way to see a new place. I’ve ridden bikes in Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris, London, New York, Sydney, and so many more wonderful cities. Not-so-coincidentally, I’ve written in every one of those places too.
Very interesting to hear you’ve written in these places as well. Really, cycling is the best way to see a place – next to walking. I hope you weigh-in on the recommended reading from time to time and thanks for following.
June! Cool snow effect on your home page! Reminded me of a screensaver I had with stars emerging out of the centre of the screen tunnelling their way toward the viewer – a bit like a driving prairie blizzard caught in the high beams. Now there’s a video I want for Christmas! – much more eventful than the fireplace with The Hand that comes into camera view every 45 minutes. Wouldn’t that be hypnotizing? And the surface snow snaking along the pavement…. let’s make one – every Cdn would buy it! We’ll be rich as Croesus. And was that other bicycle / motorcycle reference in your story to a time with me, by any chance? I’d like to think so. That’s gonna be my story – facts be gone. d
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 2015 21:56:00 +0000 To: don.redekop@sympatico.ca
Rich as Croesus and snaking surface snow? I’m in! I’m going with your story 😉
A nice analogy, and a timely post – I have a short story about learning to ride a bike gently simmering in the back of my mind. I didn’t know you wrote, by the way – I’m glad to learn it, and wish you the very best!
Bring that short story to the rolling boil! Thanks Curtis someday there shall be something to read. Best…
Great! I look forward to it…
Yep! I’m also into cycling…when weather permits…Not keen on venturing out in the cold and wet…Otherwise, work out on my Exercise Bike. Good analogy for writing, to be sure. 😉
There’s a lot to be said about determination if sometimes a lack of style 🙂 Thanks for following and hope to hear more from you.
Yes….in touch now. Hugs!